Circular racing toy



June 25, 1940. J. 5. BARDEGA 2,205,459

} CIRCULAR RACING TOY I Filed 001;. 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wm. Iwflmmu FE I I Inventor Jasz/w S. 5ARDEGA,'

, d W, M Attorneys June 25, 1940.

J. 5. BARDEGA CIRCULAR RACING TOY Filed Oct. 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2Inventor l I= -5 Josme/ 5'. EARDEGA 25, 1940. J. 5 BARDEGA 2,205,459

CIRCULAR RACING TOY Filed oci. 14, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet s A iiomeysPatented June 25, 1940 UNITED sTATEs rATENT OFFICE;

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in circularracing toys or amusement devices of the type including an annularraceway over which a plurality of cars or other objects are adapted totravel and has for one of its important objects to provide, in a manneras hereinafter set forth, novel means for driving said cars or otherobjects in a manner to cause them to travel at different speeds atdifferent points, to pass one another, etc., thus closely simulating areal race and providing considerable amusement and entertainment.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a racingtoy of the aforementioned character embodying driving means for the carsor other objects of such a construction and arrangement that any of thecars may win the race. In other words, the propelling of the cars isWhat may be considered chance controlled.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a racing toy of thecharacter described which will be comparatively simple in construction,strong, durable, attractive in appearance, compact, light in weight andwhich may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a racing toy constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the driving disc, the motor shaft beingshown in section.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through one of thecars.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through one of the cars, takensubstantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the device,taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on theline I'l of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises acircular platform I of suitable sheet metal. On its periphery, thecircular platform I is provided with an integral, dcwnturned supportingflange or skirt 2 which rests on a base 3, also of suitable metal.

The marginal portion of the circular platform I is depressed andotherwise formed to provide an inclined or banked circularraceway whichis designated generally by the reference numeral 4.

Guides 5 which are integral with the metallic 5 platform I divide theraceway 4, ,into a plurality of circular, concentric tracks 6. Eachtrack 6 has formed therein a plurality of substantially segmental slots7 the ends of which are spaced from each other, as illustrated to,advantage in Fig. 1 of the drawings The slots 1 are preferably formed bypiercing the metal, thus providing depending reinforcing lips or flanges8 (see Fig. 6).

In the embodiment illustrated, cars designated generally by thereference numeral 9 are adapted to travel around the tracks 6, beingrestricted to said tracks by the guides 5. One car is provided for eachtrack. Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will beobserved that each car 9 includes a suitable body It mounted on axlesII. The end portions of the axles II carry wheels I2. Loosely mountedfor swinging movement on each axle II is a pawl I3. The pawls l3 areoperable in the slots I of the tracks 6.

Mounted on substantially the central portion of the platform I is aspring motor I4. An upstanding Winding key I5 is provided for the motorI4. The motor- I4 is enclosed in a housing IB of suitable metal which,as shown to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, is formed tosimulate a grandstand. It will be noted that the shank of the motorwinding key 15 passes rotatably through the top of the motor housing IS.

The shaft ll of the motor I4 extends downwardly through the platform Iand has rigidly secured on its lower end a driving disc I8 of suitablemetal. Rollers I9 are provided beneath the platform I for preventingexcessive wobbling of the driving disc I8. The driving disc I8 comprisesan inclined or banked marginal portion 20 corresponding substantially tothe banked raceway 4 of the platform I. Rising from the marginal portion20 of the driving disc I8 are what may be referred to as teeth orabutments 2!. The teeth 2| are arranged to provide spaced circularseries, each series being adapted to travel beneath the slots '1 inoneof the circular tracks 6. Thus, the teeth 2| are engageable with thepawls l3 for propelling the cars 9.

It is thought that the operation of the device will be readily apparentfrom a consideration of the foregoing. The cars 9 are placed at astarting point on their respective circular tracks I5 with the pawls I 3thereof hanging through the slots 1 at that particular point and restingon the disc l8, or possibly on one of the teeth 2|. The disc I8 is thenactuated by the motor l4. When the disk 18 rotates the teeth 2! engagethe pawls I 3 and push the cars 9 around the tracks 6. The same numberof teeth 2| are provided for each of the tracks 6. As shown to advantagein Fig. 3 of the drawings, the teeth 2| of each circular series arearranged in differently spaced groups or sections at different points.Also, the spacing of the teeth 2| at one point or section for one of thetracks 6 is preferably different from the spacing of the adjacent teeth.Briefly, the arrangement of the teeth is such that the cars 9 will becaused to travel at different speeds at different points on theirrespective tracks and said cars will also be caused to pass and perhapsrepass one another. When the pawls l3 hit the forward ends of the slots1 and drag over the connecting portions 22 of the tracks 6 between saidslots, said pawls are, of course, disengaged from the teeth 2|. Afterpassing over the connecting portions 22 the pawls l3 drop into the nextslot 1 to be again picked up by one of the teeth 2|. Thus, the cars 9are momentarily disconnected from orfreed of the driving disc l8 as theytravel around the tracks 6. Of course, the frequencyof thesedisconnections is dependent on the number and length of the slots 1.Each time a disconnection takes place the particular car involved losesground or drops back relative to the driving disc l8 while the pawls l3are again picked up by the next following teeth. Thus, the uncertaintyof the eventual winner of the race is further increased. As best seen inFigure 7, the connecting portions 22 between the circumferential slots 1are grooved in a manner to provide guides for the pawls l3 as said-pawlstravel thereover between said slots.

It is believed that the many advantages of a racing toy constructed inaccordance with the present invention will be readily understood andalthough a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that changes in the details ofconstruction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed is:

A racing toy comprising a platform including a plurality of circulartracks, each track having circumferentially spaced slots therein, a discrotatably mounted beneath the platform, means for actuating the disc,spaced teeth on the disc beneath the slots, wheel supported membersoperable on the tracks, and pawls pivotally mounted on saidmembcrs andoperablein the slots for releasably connecting the members to the discfor actuation thereby, said pawls being engageablc with the platform atthe ends of the slots for periodically disconnecting the members fromthe disc, the platform having circumferential grooves therein connectingthe spaced slots for guiding the pawls therebetween.

JOSEPH s. BARDEGA.

